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Poonam Tyagi thought she was going to be killed on Monday night. Poonam and her brother were driving in their Mahindra Scorpio around 8 pm, when four armed men in a Maruti WagonR blocked their way — they were going to Sonepat from Muradnagar in Ghaziabad.

The four men took her brother’s wallet and forced him to leave the Scorpio. Three of the robbers drove the Scorpio away, while one man followed in the WagonR. Poonam was still in the rear seat of the Scorpio and thought they would kill her. All the robbers were unmasked and she thought they wouldn’t want her to identify them. What happened after that left her relieved and amazed.

“They apologised to her for the robbery and gave her Rs 100 to help her return home. They even told her that a bus would arrive there soon and suggested that she board it,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Rannvijay Singh said.

Senior police officers said the incident took place on Aravali Road, when Poonam (35) and her brother Monu (30) were returning from Muradnagar. “Poonam had gone to visit her husband, who has a steel shop in Muradnagar. Her brother was driving the car and she was sitting in the rear seat. On Aravali Road, four armed persons in a WagonR drew up and blocked their path. They pulled her brother out of the drivers seat and took his wallet away. Three of them sat in the Scorpio, while one man followed in the WagonR. They asked the woman to hand over her ornaments and cash,” Singh said.

The DSP said they drove the woman till Surana Puliya and left her there. They also abandoned the WagonR.

“The WagonR stolen from the Loni area on January 2. At this point, they gave her the money to return home. We are close to identifying members of the gang from the testimonies of Poonam and her brother, as well as the owner of the WagonR. They also withdrew Rs 10,000 from Monu’s credit card. The PIN was written on a piece of paper in the wallet. Prima facie, they seem to be a gang belonging to the Badaut region,” Singh said.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.